A Former Buckeye Admits He Sold Championship Memorabilia For Cash And Cars

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Ohio State wide receiver Ray Small
told the school's student newspaper that he sold Big Ten
championship rings and other memorabilia for cash and got
special car deals as an athlete during his playing days.

The Lantern reported that Small, who played for the Buckeyes
from 2006-2010, said "everyone was doing it" on the team.

Five Buckeyes players are suspended for the first five games of
the 2011 season for selling memorabilia to the owner of a local
tattoo parlor. That is considered an improper benefit under
NCAA rules. Coach Jim Tressel also is suspended for five games
and is under investigation by the NCAA for knowing about his
players' involvement and not telling his superiors for more
than nine months.

Small said, "We had four Big Ten rings. There was enough to go
around."

Small said he used the money he got to cover his typical costs
of living.

"We have apartments, car notes," he said. "So you got things
like that and you look around and you're like, 'Well I got
(four) of them, I can sell one or two and get some money to pay
this rent."

He said the biggest advantages came from car dealerships.

"It was definitely the deals on the cars. I don't see why it's
a big deal," said Small.

Ohio State is investigating more than 50 transactions between
Ohio State athletes and their families and two Columbus auto
dealerships.

"They have a lot (of dirt) on everybody," Small said, "cause
everybody was doing it."

Small had 61 catches for 659 yards and three touchdowns during
his Ohio State career, which was marked by frequent suspensions
and disciplinary acts. He spent time on the practice squads of
the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Washington
Redskins and has now returned to Ohio State to get his degree
in sociology.

Small said players went to see Edward Rife at Fine Line Ink
tattoo parlor because Rife was an Ohio State fan and gave big
discounts. It was the U.S. Attorney's investigation of Rife on
federal drug-trafficking charges that led to Ohio State
officials finding out about the improper benefits.

Small said the players would have been foolish to turn down the
discounted tattoos.

"If you go in and try to get a tattoo, and somebody is like 'Do
you want 50 percent off this tattoo?' You're going to say,
'Heck yeah,'" Small said.

Tressel continually suspended or benched Small during his
playing days at Ohio State. One of the team's fastest players,
he was seen as the heir apparent to Ted Ginn Jr. after the wide
receiver and kick returner went to the NFL. But Small's career
was marked by being in Tressel's doghouse.

"They explain the rules to you, but as a kid you're not really
listening to all of them rules," Small said. "You go out and
you just, people show you so much love, you don't even think
about the rules. You're just like 'Ah man, it's cool.' You take
it, and next thing you know the NCAA is down your back."

Another former Ohio State player interviewed by The Lantern,
defensive back Malcolm Jenkins, said Ohio State told players
about NCAA rules and if they were broken it was the players'
fault.

Ohio State spokesman Dan Wallenberg said, "We educate as best
we can and expect student-athletes and staff to follow our
messaging and policies."

Former OSU basketball player Mark Titus wrote Tuesday on his
blog that the perks within the football program are far from a
secret.

"Any OSU student in the past five years could tell you that a
lot of the football players drive nice cars," Titus wrote.
"You'd have to be blind to not notice it."

Small said there was no shortage of people trying to help Ohio
State athletes.

"Everywhere you go, while you're in the process of playing at
Ohio State," Small said, "you're going to get a deal every
which way."